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IT Service Management

What is SIAM?

Source: Guardian Newspaper

Service Integration and Management (SIAM) is increasing its presence in Whitehall. There has been a growing interest in the role of a SIAM provider for the service towers model of an IT estate, with a couple of major procurements giving it a fresh momentum, and hints that it could provide a lead for the wider public sector.

It offers an alternative approach to the in-house management of outsourced IT in various niches, and a possible solution to concerns about the level of skills within public authorities. But there are differing views on whether it can provide a successful way forward in the long term.

For some government departments, the SIAM is an integral element of the service towers model. Instead of each organisation within the group making its own arrangements, the parent body sets up a group of towers for different service areas – such as desktops, applications, hosting and networks – to be used by all of its bodies. While each tower can have a lead supplier, a strategic partner is appointed to manage the whole group, with responsibilities from the early planning to the implementation, monitoring and support for IT services. It effectively extends the role of a systems integrator to take on more day to day management over the long term.

What is a service?

By definition, a service is a means of delivering value to customers by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks. It has two perspectives – customers and providers. The customers are concerned with the value the service provides to improve performance of their work. The providers are concerned with how best to provide this value through its capabilities and resources.